A Beginner’s Guide to Polymer Clay Art
My name is Leah Angelos and I have been creating clay projects for a little over one year. I always loved to paint and draw but I was looking for a new way to bring my art to life. While I was walking in Jo-Ann’s craft store I stumbled upon polymer clay so I decided to pick some up. Since my first project, I have been hooked! Polymer clay has become my favorite medium to work with.
This is a polymer clay project designed for a beginning artist. In 7 easy steps, you can create an adorable snail of your own and begin to familiarize yourself with polymer clay processes.
Why use polymer clay?
Polymer clay never dries out! It will only dry if you bake it in the oven. So if you feel like starting a project and revisiting it later, this art medium is a great choice. Also it is very convenient for storage and is cost-efficient since you won’t have to worry about it drying out on accident.
Preparations:
In order to create this cute clay snail, you will first need these necessary items:
Three different colored polymer clay, an oven (or toaster oven), varnish, and a paintbrush. All of these are available at craft stores such as Jo-Ann’s and Michael’s.
It is optional to have Q-Tips and nail polish remover.
Tip: Preheat the oven before starting the process to give it time to warm up while you create your snail! The clay will have directions on the packaging about what the appropriate temperature is for your product.
Step 1:
Choose your clay colors you wish to use and roll them out into balls around this size. In this example, the sparkling blue clay is for the body, the purple clay is for the shell, and the 2 smaller black pieces of clay are for the eyes.
Step 2:
Next, roll the clay for the body into a tapered shape. The pointy end will be the tail and the rounded end will be the head of the snail. The purple clay is rolled into a longer and thinner piece and is then flattened by pushing down with your finger along the length of the clay. The black pieces of clay are left alone in this step.
Step 3:
Bend the body piece into an S-shape with the tail tapered end elongated. Take your flattened longer piece of clay and then roll that into a spiral that will become the shell of the snail. The black pieces of clay are left alone in this step.
Step 4:
Take the shell and place it on top of the snail body. The clay should be naturally sticky enough for the shell to stay in place if you use a little bit of pressure. Take the two pieces of black clay and press them onto the head of the snail.
Step 5:
Before baking the snail in the oven, use some nail polish remover and Q-tips to remove any unwanted dust or fingerprints. This step is optional but is an easy way to give the clay a more professional look in the end.
Step 6:
Place the snail on aluminum foil so that the oily residue will not come off on your baking rack. Place the rack inside the oven or toaster oven at whatever temperature is appropriate for the polymer clay you chose. For my example, my clay will be baked at 230 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. After it is done baking, let it cool for at least 15 minutes before continuing to step 7.
Step 7:
After the snail is done cooling off, it is ready for a varnish seal. In this example I have a glossy varnish so that it will be very shiny when it is done drying. Use a simple paintbrush to spread the varnish over the entire snail in one smooth coat.
After you let the varnish dry for a few hours, you will have created your polymer clay cutie!
